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Burro Racing Wins Over Runners in Backcountry Ode to Mining History
WSB-TV ^ | May 3rd, 2025

Posted on 05/03/2025 4:21:37 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Backcountry runners are embracing the physical and emotional challenge of racing with pack burros that don't always move at their pace. Burro races honor Old West history and hinge on a delicate partnership between runner and beast of burden. Burros, a Spanish-derived word for donkeys and their wild cousins, must carry a saddle, pick, pan and shovel in homage to a bygone era and the mythical sprint by miners to a land claims office with their pack animal.

Some 70 teams tested their skills Saturday in a race winding through the historic, turquoise-mining town of Cerrillos in northern New Mexico. Runners led burros by rope on 6-mile (10-kilometer) and 3-mile (5-kilometer) courses on unpaved roads and single-track desert trails. More ambitious burro races in Colorado can extend for nearly 30 miles (48 kilometers).

Racers often buy or inherit burros from owners who run out of money, time or patience. Others adopt burros that were corralled by the federal government to prevent overpopulation. Novices easily can rent an ass to try it out for kicks.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsbtv.com ...


TOPICS: Hobbies; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: burros; newmexico; oldwest
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To: BipolarBob

Ha. Keep it casual.


21 posted on 05/04/2025 10:03:04 AM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: mairdie

Fun reading!!

Thanks for posting...


22 posted on 05/04/2025 11:44:07 AM PDT by redinIllinois (Pro-life, accoountant, gun-totin' Grandma - multi issue voter )
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To: redinIllinois

So glad you liked it. I WILL get that book out. Hopefully, this Christmas.


23 posted on 05/04/2025 2:10:25 PM PDT by mairdie
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Photo....

Next one had the burro with a blanket reading
I’m With Stupid ➡️.


24 posted on 05/04/2025 6:30:32 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: BipolarBob

It is warm for an elevation of just over 10,000 feet. Leadville sits close to timberline. The joke was how nice the 2 weeks of summer were.


25 posted on 05/05/2025 9:16:37 AM PDT by wyokostur
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